2008 Spielvogel Memorial

Jamie Brotheridge is the victor in this year's Spielvogel Tournament - congratulations!

Players

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Total

1

Chris Segrave

7:L

11:L

2:L

Bye

9:L

4:L

8:L

1

2

Chris Holley

8:L

9:L

1:W

5:W

11:L

Bye

4:L

3

3

Jamie Brotheridge

9:W

10:W

8:W

7:D

4:W

11:W

5:W

6½

4

Joel Beggs

10:W

8:L

7:D

9:W

3:L

1:W

2:W

4½

5

Switzer Bell

11:W

7:L

9:L

2:L

Bye

8:L

3:L

2

6

Patrick Prevett

Bye

Bye

11:L

-

-

-

-

-

7

Rob Loveband

1:W

5:W

4:D

3:D

8:W

9:W

11:W

6

8

Patrick Cook

2:W

4:W

3:L

11:W

7:L

5:W

1:W

4

9

Michael Schreenan

3:L

2:W

5:W

4:L

1:W

7:L

Bye

4

10

Charlie van der Winkel

4:L

3:L

Bye

-

-

-

-

-

11

John Abson

5:L

1:W

6:W

8:L

2:W

3:L

7:L

3

Round 1

The 2008 N.F.Spielvogel Memorial attracted a field of 11 players, with quite a few new faces at the club.

The first game to finish was Joel Beggs versus Charlie van der Winkel. A Giuco Piano, Joel played a text book game and delivered checkmate in 8 moves before his opponent new what happened.

Jamie Brotheridge took on Michael Schreenan who defended with something resembling a King's Indian Defence. Black shed the exchange in the middlegame and went downhill fast from there in a rook versus bishop endgame.

Chris Holley played a Bird's Opening against Patrick Cook and held his position against the top seed until a "fingerfehler" resulted in a loss of material, Black finished off his opponent in efficient manner thereafter.

Switzer Bell met John Abson and played the primitive Elephant Opening (1. e4 e5 2. d4?!), developing in a slow and steady fashion. In an interesting middlegame, White had 3 pawns for a piece, but with a badly exposed King, Black then blundered a piece and White cleaned up quickly.

The last game to finish was Chris Segrave versus Rob Loveband. What began as another Bird's Opening quickly transposed to a King's Gambit. Black kept the pawn and gradually seized the initiative, then picked up 2 pieces to have a completely won game. White resigned not long after.

Patrick Prevett had the bye.

Key

1

Win

pp

Postponed

0

Loss

adj

Adjourned

½

Draw

1

Bye

Results

Chris Segrave v Rob Loveband

0 - 1

Chris Holley v Patrick Cook

0 - 1

Jamie Brotheridge v Michael Schreenan

1 - 0

Joel Beggs v Charlie van der Winkel

1 - 0

Switzer Bell v John Abson

1 - 0

Patrick Prevett

Bye

Round 2

Charlie van der Winkle faced Jamie Brotheridge in a Sicilian and lasted only a few moves longer than last week, dropping a piece in the opening and resigning on the spot.

Rob Loveband met Switzer Bell who defended with his favourite Scandinavian. The game was quite even until Black shed a rook in the middlegame and white won efficiently from there.

John Abson played Chris Segrave who adopted an unusual line of the Alelekhine Defence (1.e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ng8?!). In the complex middlegame, White sacrificed 2 pawns for a whisper of an attack which soon become a shout as he won a rook for a pawn and went on to win brilliantly.

Michael Schreenan versus Chris Holley was a classical 1. e4 e5 opening that was over before anyone really saw what happened. The final position featured an unusual mate by White with Bishop on f7 and Queen on e6.

Patrick Cook faced the dangerous Joel Beggs who avoided White's intended Catalan in an unusual manner (1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 c5?!). After a sharp opening phase in which White gained a big lead in development, Black dropped a pawn in the middlegame and White quietly converted his advantage with refined endgame technique.

Patrick Prevett had the bye.

Key

1

Win

pp

Postponed

0

Loss

adj

Adjourned

½

Draw

1

Bye

Results

Charlie van der Winkel v Jamie Brotheridge

0 - 1

Rob Loveband v Switzer Bell

1 - 0

John Abson v Chris Segrave

1 - 0

Michael Schreenan v Chris Holley

1 - 0

Patrick Cook v Joel Beggs

1 - 0

Patrick Prevett

Bye

Round 3

Joel Beggs versus Rob Loveband was a Scandinavian Gambit! (1.e4 d5 2.exd5 c6?!), a most unusual innovation. White kept the pawn for most of this interesting positional struggle, but then sacrificed a piece for a dangerous passed pawn. Neither player was able to get on top and the game was agreed drawn late in the night.

Jamie Brotheridge took on top seed Patrick Cook who tried a topical line of the Queen's Indian, but quickly found himself in a tactical melee that cost him a piece. White then finished the game with a devastating mating attack.

Chris Holley met Chris Segrave and played Bird's Opening (1.f4) once again. White picked up a piece for a pawn in the opening, then increased the pressure and gained a lethal pin. Black could find no answer and quickly succumbed.

Swytzar Bell faced Michael Schreenan in a weird Petroff Defence. In a wild hack and slash game, White went pawn hunting and found his rook trapped in the late middle game, but somehow escaped into an endgame with 2 rooks and 2 pieces against Queen and Bishop. An oversight allowed Black to checkmate the White King.

Patrick Prevett failed to show and gave John Abson a free point.

Charlie van der Winckel had the bye.

Key

1

Win

pp

Postponed

0

Loss

adj

Adjourned

½

Draw

1

Bye

Results

Joel Beggs v Rob Loveband

½ - ½

Jamie Brotheridge v Patrick Cook

1 - 0

Chris Holley v Chris Segrave

1 - 0

Switzer Bell v Michael Schreenan

0 - 1

Patrick Prevett v John Abson

0 - 1

Charlie van der Winkel

Bye

Round 4

Rob Loveband faced the always dangerous Jamie Brotheridge and adopted the peculiar opening move 1.e3. The game quickly became a standard Queen Pawn Opening and settled down to an interesting positional struggle. Neither player gained a decisive edge and the game ended in a draw.

Patrick Cook versus John Abson was a Queen's Indian. White gained a pawn as a result of Black's eccentric handling of the Defence. The game ended abruptly when Black dropped his Queen and resigned.

Michael Schreenan versus Joel Beggs was a Ruy Lopez, exchange variation. White incautiously snatched a pawn in the opening and then lost a piece, followed by 2 Bishops for a rook. He resigned in a hopeless endgame a piece down.

Swytzar Bell played Chris Holley who adopted what can only be described as the Holley Defence (1.e4 e5 2.d3 g5?!). White won a pawn early, but then dropped a piece, then another chasing Black's Queen. Black then swept the board of White's remaining material before mating.

Charlie van der Winckel versus Patrick Prevett was a double forfeit; neither player turned up and both were deemed to have withdrawn.

Chris Segrave had the bye.

Key

1

Win

pp

Postponed

0

Loss

adj

Adjourned

½

Draw

1

Bye

Results

Rob Loveband v Jamie Brotheridge

½ - ½

Patrick Cook v John Abson

1 - 0

Michael Schreenan v Joel Beggs

0 - 1

Switzer Bell v Chris Holley

0 - 1

Charlie van der Winkel v Patrick Prevett

0 - 0

Chris Segrave

Bye

Round 5

Jamie Brotheridge met Joel Beggs and surprised his opponent with the Scotch! In a tough encounter, White had to work hard to gain a pawn, and then with fine play won a rook for 2 pawns and proceeded to convert his advantage to a full point.

Rob Loveband faced Patrick Cook who defended with the Nimzo-Indian. Lazy play by Black left him facing a decisive material loss, so he opted for a spectacular Queen sacrifice that resulted in a most interesting game. White held firm and with excellent technique converted his edge to a win deep in the endgame.

John Abson played Chris Holley who adopted the Philidor Defence (1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6). White, typically, threw everything at his opponent and was 2 pieces in arrears in no time. In a wild skirmish with chances everywhere and clear analysis impossible, White pushed his pawns forward and broke through to gain a 2 nd Queen and win the game.

Chis Segrave versus Michael Schreenan was a King's Gambit via Bird's Opening! White gave up 2 pawns early and quickly found himself in trouble with 2 pieces forked. Black picked up a rook and more pawns to register a forceful win.

Switzer Bell had the bye.

Key

1

Win

pp

Postponed

0

Loss

adj

Adjourned

½

Draw

1

Bye

Results

Jamie Brotheridge v Joel Beggs

1 - 0

Rob Loveband v Patrick Cook

1 - 0

John Abson v Chris Holley

1 - 0

Chris Segrave v Michael Schreenan

0 - 1

Switzer Bell

Bye

Round 6

John Abson took on Jamie Brotheridge in an open Sicilian. White found himself with a weak position, doubled isolated pawns early and then dropped a piece on move 15. He resigned on the spot.

Patrick Cook versus Switzer Bell was a Larsen Opening. A game of pure positional technique, White won a pawn and proceeded to grind out a win in 53 moves. The only unusual feature of the game was checkmate delivered by 3 Queens !!

Michael Schreenan faced Rob Loveband in another open Sicilian. Black eventually won a piece in a tactical melee and went on to win comfortably.

Joel Beggs met Chris Segrave who played the rarely seen Owen's Defence (1.e4 b6?!). White pushed hard against a passive set up and won a piece, then 2 pawns as well, to have an overwhelming position which he had no trouble converting to a win.

Chris Holley had the bye.

Key

1

Win

pp

Postponed

0

Loss

adj

Adjourned

½

Draw

1

Bye

Results

John Abson v Jamie Brotheridge

0 - 1

Patrick Cook v Switzer Bell

1 - 0

Michael Schreenan v Rob Loveband

0 - 1

Joel Beggs v Chris Segrave

1 - 0

Chris Holley

Bye

Round 7

Jamie Brotheridge met Swytzar Bell who opted for the French Defence. White built up a rapid attack and in a sharp tactical display delivered mate with the thematic Bxh7+ sacrifice.

Chris Segrave faced Patrick Cook and played the English Opening. Black played his usual careful positional game and won after a lengthy display of endgame technique.

Rob Loveband versus John Abson was a Queen's Gambit Declined. White built up a strong attack through the centre in the middle game and gained a decisive material advantage which he comfortably converted.

Chris Holley versus Joel Beggs was a non-event. White failed to show and Black won on forfeit.

Nathan Frederick Spielvogel (1874-1956), teacher, writer and historian, was born on 10 May 1874 at Ballarat, Victoria, son of Newman Frederick Spielvogel, pawnbroker, and his wife Hannah, née Cohen. Newman, an Austrian, and Hannah, a Prussian, were typical of the strong Jewish community on the Ballarat goldfields. Nathan attended Dana Street State School and trained there in 1892-95 as a pupil-teacher. He taught at several schools in the Wimmera, including Dimboola (1897, 1899-1907).

A small man, with sharply chiselled features, a wide forehead, big ears, warm eyes, a jutting chin and a beard that became golden, Spielvogel was adventurous and imaginative. In 1904 he spent his savings of £120 on a six-month journey through Egypt, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Britain. He had begun his writing career in 1894 with a Christmas story for the Ballarat Courier, to which—with the Jewish press, the Bulletin, the Dimboola Banner and other newspapers—he contributed regularly under such pen names as 'Genung', 'Eko', 'Ato' and 'Ahaswar'. From the early 1920s he wrote a humorous piece each month for the Teachers' Journal, but was probably best known for his first book, A Gumsucker on the Tramp (1906). It sold 20,000 copies. He also published The Cocky Farmer (1914), A Gumsucker at Home (1914), Old Eko's Note-Book (1930) and a volume of poetry called Our Gum Trees (1913).

He loved a beer (not lager) and around 1908 dined every Thursday at Fasoli's café, Melbourne, with writers and artists such as E. J. Brady, Norman Lindsay, Hal Gye, C. J. Dennis and Louis Esson. Later he was close to J. K. Moir, Victor Kennedy and R. H. Croll of the Bread and Cheese Club. Croll thought him 'offensively Australian' yet proudly Jewish, a conjunction that rent Spielvogel in 1901 when his love for a Gentile conflicted with a promise to his mother not to marry out of the faith. He remained steadfast and on 6 September 1911 at the Great Synagogue, Hyde Park, Sydney, married Jessie Muriel, daughter of Henry Harris, publisher of the Hebrew Standard.

After further postings to other Victorian schools, Spielvogel returned to Ballarat to be headmaster of Dana Street in 1924-39. Inspiring, sympathetic and methodical, he was immensely popular: a phalanx of pupils usually escorted him into the grounds. As president of the revived Ballarat Historical Society (1933-56), he developed a passion for local history. He published vignettes of early Ballarat life and a popular monograph, The Affair at Eureka (1928). After retirement he was largely responsible for managing the local museum and for placing plaques and monuments at historic sites. His broadcasts and press releases increased historical awareness.

Spielvogel was president of the Ballarat Hebrew Congregation, the Mechanics' Institute, the Teachers' Institute and Dana Street Old Scholars' Association. Strongly patriotic during World War I, he became chairman of the Dads' Association in World War II. A sharp mind lay behind his lifelong interest in chess: he was secretary (1894) and president (1939) of the Ballarat club and represented Victoria in 1921 and 1925. He was instrumental in sustaining the Ballarat synagogue between 1941 and 1953 and wrote Jewish stories with a tenderness and strength that drew from Judah Waten the remark that Jewish literature in Australia began with him. Spielvogel died on 10 September 1956 at Ballarat and was buried in the old cemetery. His wife and their three sons (all of whom had married out of the faith and in his absence) survived him.